Money Makes the World Go Round
on
Globalization
·
· Score: 3, Insightful
I suggest that you read Barbara Garson's book, reviewed here by Salon.
In it, she argues that no world government can regulate the financial industry. Every attempt leads to offshore loopholes. The financial
industry actually regulates world governments. Every time a government
votes to increase spending for health,
education and other social services, the
financial centers vote by sucking their money out of that country. Since capital is so concentrated these days thanks to mergers and consolidations, the effects are immediate and chilling.
Many times, people are living in wretched conditions because their governments promised to secure loans given to private corporations that end up failing. Indonesia, for example, closed 250,000 clinics, 6 million children dropped out of school, and the infant mortality rate has risen 30 percent, in order to raise taxes to pay back bad loans.
You can't help but think that that is going to have an effect on our ability to function as a civil society. People should have education and health care, it leads to technological breakthroughs and satisfying lives. Money should have a social cost associated with it. If that makes me a pinko commie, then so be it.
It seems to me that our foreign policy in the last half of the 20th century was to secure low wages for industry and keep democracies out of power in Central and South America, SouthEast Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. It's only fair that what's good for American citizens should be fair for our global brethren.
Ghandi said, "There are many things I'd die for, but nothing I would kill for." The terrorists would act differently if they truly had social justice as an end and not chaos, but they'd have a lot less sympathy around the world if our monetary policy were different. I think there are other ways to solve imbalance than crashing a plane into a building. I just wish someone would point them out to me.
I'd also suggest reading Warren Wagar's Short History of the Future, in which he argues that a corporate global economy is eventually superceded by local government/ communal anarchy. Many of his decade-old predictions have already come true.
People have already mentioned a couple of Lucas Learning titles - but missed my favorite "Pit Droids" In this puzzle game that's like lemmings, you have to create a path from one part of the game to the exits for the Pit Droids to get to. The game teaches pattern recognition, ratios, and simple branching (All needed for programming!!). Add to that Star Wars themes arranged as jazz, and you have an addictive title for adults too. You can also make your own puzzles once you've finished the game.
If you're on a Mac, Tranquility is another great 3D puzzle game that teaches patience!! http://www.tqworld.com/
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I suggest that you read Barbara Garson's book, reviewed here by Salon.
In it, she argues that no world government can regulate the financial industry. Every attempt leads to offshore loopholes. The financial industry actually regulates world governments. Every time a government votes to increase spending for health, education and other social services, the financial centers vote by sucking their money out of that country. Since capital is so concentrated these days thanks to mergers and consolidations, the effects are immediate and chilling.
Many times, people are living in wretched conditions because their governments promised to secure loans given to private corporations that end up failing. Indonesia, for example, closed 250,000 clinics, 6 million children dropped out of school, and the infant mortality rate has risen 30 percent, in order to raise taxes to pay back bad loans.
You can't help but think that that is going to have an effect on our ability to function as a civil society. People should have education and health care, it leads to technological breakthroughs and satisfying lives. Money should have a social cost associated with it. If that makes me a pinko commie, then so be it.
It seems to me that our foreign policy in the last half of the 20th century was to secure low wages for industry and keep democracies out of power in Central and South America, SouthEast Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. It's only fair that what's good for American citizens should be fair for our global brethren.
Ghandi said, "There are many things I'd die for, but nothing I would kill for." The terrorists would act differently if they truly had social justice as an end and not chaos, but they'd have a lot less sympathy around the world if our monetary policy were different. I think there are other ways to solve imbalance than crashing a plane into a building. I just wish someone would point them out to me.
I'd also suggest reading Warren Wagar's Short History of the Future, in which he argues that a corporate global economy is eventually superceded by local government/ communal anarchy. Many of his decade-old predictions have already come true.
People have already mentioned a couple of Lucas Learning titles - but missed my favorite "Pit Droids" In this puzzle game that's like lemmings, you have to create a path from one part of the game to the exits for the Pit Droids to get to. The game teaches pattern recognition, ratios, and simple branching (All needed for programming!!). Add to that Star Wars themes arranged as jazz, and you have an addictive title for adults too. You can also make your own puzzles once you've finished the game. If you're on a Mac, Tranquility is another great 3D puzzle game that teaches patience!! http://www.tqworld.com/